All-round Sunrisers Hyderabad outclass Delhi Capitals by 88 runs, keep Play-off hopes alive
Dubai: Wriddhiman Saha stamped his class with a 45-ball 87 before Rashid Khan dished out a clinical bowling performance as Sunrisers Hyderabad kept themselves alive in the race for IPL play-offs with a whopping 88-run win over Delhi Capital, here on Tuesday.
Asked to bat first, splendid knocks by Saha (87), skipper David Warner (66) and Manish Pandey (44) powered Sunrisers to 219 for two.
Star spinner Rashid then led a fine bowling display to end with the impressive figures of 4-0-7-3, his best in this season.
The Afghan bowled an astonishing 17 dot balls in his quota of four overs, helping his side bowl out the Capitals for 131 in 19 overs.
Sunrisers (10 points) have now moved up to sixth from the seventh position with this win, while the Capitals, who slumped to their third consecutive loss, were pushed down to the third spot with 14 points.
Chasing a stiff target, it was a rather ordinary performance by the Capitals batsmen. Shikhar Dhawan (0) and Marcus Stoinis (5), who was elevated to number 3, perished in the first two overs.
Ajinkya Rahane (26) and Shimron Heytmyer (16) quickly started the recovery work, stitching a 40 run stand, the highest for their team. The duo targeted Jason Holder, collecting 22 runs in the sixth over as Delhi reached 54 for two at the end of the Powerplay overs.
However, Rashid dealt Delhi with twin blows, getting rid of both Rahane and Hetmyer in the seventh over. Skipper Shreyas Iyer (7) was next to depart as wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals.
Seven of Delhi's batsmen failed to reach double digits with Rishabh Pant (36) being the top scorer.
While Rashid was the pick of the bowlers for Sunrisers, Sandeep Sharma (2/27) and T Natarajan (2/26) picked two wickets apiece. Vijay Shankar(1/11), Shahbaz Nadeem (1/8), Holder (1/46) took a wicket each.
Earlier, both openers Warner, who looked in good nick, and Saha, playing his second game of the season, went after the Delhi bowlers from the word go.
Fully capitalizing on the field restrictions, the duo smashed boundaries (11 fours and two sixes) every over to collect 77-runs in the first six overs, the best Powerplay figures of the season.
In the sixth over, Warner smashed the tournament's leading wicket-taker Kagiso Rabada (0/54) for four boundaries and a six, helping the Sunrisers reach 100 runs in just 8.4 overs.
Till Warner was taking on the bowlers, Saha played the second fiddle to perfection.
The Australian celebrated his 34th birthday with a half-century off just 25 balls, hitting two sixes and eight fours at the Dubai International Stadium.
To Delhi's relief Ravichandran Ashwin (1/35) broke the 107-run opening stand in the 10th over as he dismissed danger man Warner, who was caught at extra cover by Axar Patel.
With Warner gone, Saha hammered the Capitals bowlers all around the park. The wicketkeeper-batsman reached his fifty in style with a boundary. He plundered 12 fours and two sixes before pacer Anrich Nortje (1/37) dismissed him in the 15th over.
Pandey and Kane Williamsion (11 not out) continued the assault on a listless Delhi bowling unit.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mbappé equals ''idol'' Ronaldo with his record 59th goal in a year for Real Madrid
Barcelona (AP): Kylian Mbappé scored his 59th goal for Real Madrid in 2025 on Saturday to equal the club record for the most in a year held by Cristiano Ronaldo.
The milestone was about to escape the France striker until he converted a penalty kick with four minutes left to complete a 2-0 win over 10-man Sevilla in Madrid's final game of the year.
On his 27th birthday, Mbappé matched Ronaldo's tally from 2013. After embracing his teammates, he marked the feat with a subdued version of Ronaldo's trademark goal celebration — whereby the Portugal forward leaps up and thrusts his arms downwards upon landing — before blowing a kiss at the television cameras.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star, who joined Madrid in the summer of 2024, has scored 29 times for Madrid this season, including a league-leading 18.
“It's incredible, in my first (full) year to do what Cristiano did. (He's) my idol, the best player in the history of Real Madrid,” Mbappé said.
“My celebration is for him. I wanted to do that because he helped me adapt here and now I can help Madrid win games with my goals. I wanted to share it with him. I have a really good relationship with him, he is my friend, and I wish him and all Madrid fans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
Jude Bellingham scored with a header in the 38th minute and Sevilla lost defender Marcao to a second booking for rash tackles with 20 minutes left.
Sevilla coach Matías Almeyda also was expelled by the referee during the halftime break apparently for protesting.
Alonso dodges a bullet
===============
Alonso has been under pressure for several weeks due to a run of bad results and the overall lackluster play of his star-studded side. Spanish sports media is rife with speculation the first-year coach could be replaced.
Now Madrid club president Florentino Pérez will have two weeks to ponder the team's future before its next game against Real Betis on Jan. 4.
Alonso could have ill afforded another slip at the Santiago Bernabeu after his side lost its previous two home games. But Madrid's fans still had reason to grumble after Sevilla repeatedly created scoring chances — even after being reduced to 10 men.
Alexis Sánchez, still spry at age 37, and right back Juanlu Sánchez stood out the most for a Sevilla side that poked holes in Madrid's defense.
Madrid needed Thibaut Courtois to deny Alexis, Isaac Romero and Alfonso González on four strikes in the second half. But Sevilla could have gone ahead if it had just showed more finishing touch early on.
The result was still in doubt until Mbappé converted his spot kick after Juanlu fouled Rodrygo in the area.
“Today was a game we had to win, we were in a complicated situation,” Alonso said. “We know that we can play better, and now we have the three points and will try to start the new year by improving.”
Madrid is in second place at one point behind Barcelona before the leader visits third-placed Villarreal on Sunday.
Teams draw before hiring coaches
=====================
Levante and Real Sociedad drew 1-1 in Valencia before both sides announced the hiring of new coaches.
Sociedad hired American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, while Luís Castro joined last-placed Levante.
Budimir brace for Osasuna
================
Ante Budimir scored his first league goals in nearly two months to help Osasuna beat Alaves 3-0 and achieve its biggest win of the campaign.
The Croatia striker volleyed in a cross for the 72nd-minute breakthrough after Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sivera made several saves.
Budimir made it a brace from the penalty spot after a handball by Víctor Parada and Raúl García completed the scoring in stoppage time.
Pigeons on the pitch
=============
Real Oviedo did not improve in the debut of its third coach of the season after a scoreless draw with Celta Vigo at home.
Celta had the best chances to break the deadlock of a game that featured a small flock of pigeons that spent a long period of time on the field.
Guillermo Almada is Oviedo's third coach since returning to the top flight last season. The team from northern Spain is in second-to-last place.
